He pulled on her hand. Later, she was never sure whether it was her that slipped or if he yanked on her arm on purpose. However it was, when she came up, she lost her balance and slammed into James’s chest, shoving him back against the kitchen counter.

  “Well, we’ve been here all of thirty seconds, and she’s already throwing herself at my husband.” Her sister’s voice, sultry, sounding like she was a two-pack-a-day smoker, slithered across the table and wound around Elaine’s body, clogging her throat. Clashing with the scum that had already been stirred inside of her, making her chest burn and her neck crawl.

  “Looked to me like your husband yanked my wife somewhere she didn’t want to go.” Rem stood in the bathroom doorway, his hair wet but combed, wearing a button-down flannel tucked into new jeans. His belt buckle glistened in the light, and he must have carried his cowboy boots into the bathroom, because he wore them as well.

  The adults in the room silenced immediately. Elaine’s children noticed something wasn’t quite right and quieted. Some of the hotness seeped out of Elaine’s chest. Maybe, if Rem were beside her, she could get through this.

  “Your wife?” Elaine’s mother said in a disbelieving tone.

  Rem strode over to Elaine. James dropped his arms, and she stepped back. Rem reached out, sliding his hand over her cheek. “Are you okay, Chica?”

  Her eyes widened a fraction at the nickname he’d never used on her before. She hadn’t spoken Spanish since high school, but she thought it meant girl or maybe little girl. Not a sexy nickname, but an endearment nonetheless.

  She tried to swallow and nodded, the acid burn in her chest replaced by something that felt a lot like soul balm.

  “You can go change. I’ll see what I can do about this mess.” His thumb skimmed over her cheek. She could hardly think but knew there was something she needed to do.

  Oh, that’s right. Her mother.

  Clearing her throat, she turned. Rem had barely touched her before this, but as she twisted, his arm slid around her waist and he pulled her against him.

  She lost her train of thought again.

  “Yes, ma’am. She married me just after Christmas.” Rem’s drawl curled in her ear, and his voice vibrated against her back.

  She needed to get away from him so her brain would start functioning again.

  Rem guided her around the broken table with a gentle pressure of his arm. “I’m Remington Martinez.” He held his hand out. Her mother shook it. “Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Anderson.”

  “You’re the bull rider that won the championship a year ago,” her sister said.

  Rem’s eyes flicked to hers. He gave his chin a jerk. Then, dismissing her, he turned back to their mother.

  Elaine shook herself. She should have introduced him to everyone. Not left him to figure things out on his own. “Rem, this is my sister, Corrie. And there’s James. You’ve already figured that out, I’m sure. And their baby is Luke.” She tilted her head. “I’ll be back out to help you clean this up.”

  “Take your time, Chica,” Rem murmured in a slow drawl that made her stomach do crazy things.

  She stumbled a little as she walked away from him. She’d have to thank him later for coming to her defense and acting like they were truly married and not just participating in a business arrangement.

  It had been a long time since she’d dressed up in anything except church clothes. She reached way back in her closet for the one western skirt she owned. She pulled it out and held it up. Made out of mesh material, it was ruffled with beads and a wide, sparkly belt. The stretchy black t-shirt she’d always worn with it was folded over the hanger. Grabbing her cowgirl boots out of the back corner, she threw everything on the bed and started changing before she lost her nerve.

  She wasn’t a ravishing beauty—a girl that would look good beside Rem’s dark handsomeness—but at least her clothes could complement his.

  The t-shirt was a little tighter over her chest than it used to be, and her stomach curved out just a little where she used to be toothpick skinny. Her boots still fit just right, though. They weren’t as fancy as Rem’s, but they were comfortable and felt like old friends.

  Running a brush through her hair, she wished she’d taken the time to curl it. She spared another wish that she had some makeup. A little lip gloss or eyeliner at least. Her toenails were painted a sparkling coral color. Too bad no one was going to see them.

  As she opened the door, she realized she should have been more concerned about the mess and that all the food had gotten ruined, rather than taking an extra thirty seconds to fix her hair and check her reflection in the glass. She was such a ninny. No one out there cared what she looked like.

  The table had been righted. The pizza boxes sat on it. The second pitcher of tea had been gotten out of the refrigerator. People had found places at the table, and her children were sitting on the benches that Rem had cleaned off and brought in.

  Everything was under control, and she should be happy.

  But Rem was talking, and her mother was laughing with Corrie looking on. It should be good, but that’s how it had started last time. Her mother and James had a great relationship, and somehow Corrie, who was her mother’s favorite, ended up with her husband.

  Talk about bitter and sour.

  Elaine threw her shoulders back and strode into the room. Rem noticed her first. He stopped mid-sentence and stared. It was all that needed to happen for her to be happy that she’d taken the extra time to dig her skirt out.

  A little grin danced around his mouth.

  She gave him the sassiest smile she owned and stepped to her place at the table, sinking into her chair.

  The kids had started talking, and Corrie said something, but Elaine missed it because Rem leaned over and drawled in her ear, “You’re beautiful.”

  He didn’t mean it, of course, but she appreciated the gesture.

  She didn’t have Corrie’s nine hundred number voice, and sexy and seductive weren’t really in her arsenal. But she put her tongue on her lip and leaned closer to Rem before she said in the throatiest voice she could muster, “You are definitely doing a good job of representing Texas tonight.”

  He cracked out a laugh.

  Well, so much for being a siren. That was her sister. She was just a good cook, and once upon a time, she had a sense of humor, too. Maybe she couldn’t make him look at her with longing, but she could make him laugh.

  “Can we eat, now?” Gabe asked, eyeing the pizza boxes. It wasn’t often that her children got a special treat like store-bought pizza.

  Everyone looked to Rem at the head of the table.

  “Let’s pray,” he said.

  As Elaine bowed her head, she caught her sister’s narrowed eyes, and James’s annoyed look. It wasn’t right to rejoice in another’s suffering, but she couldn’t deny it made her feel just a little good inside that James and Corrie were not sending her pitying glances tonight. That maybe, because of Rem, she had the upper hand. She had no interest in lording it over anyone, but she did love the fact that this wasn’t turning out to be as hard as she’d thought it would be.

  Rem had barely said “Amen” when Luke started crying.

  James lifted a brow at Corrie who narrowed her eyes and jutted her chin out.

  “You need to get him. I’m eating.” James picked his pizza up and took a bite.

  Corrie slammed her hand down on the table and shoved her chair back with a loud scrape.

  “I can get him, Sweetie,” their mother said, rising.

  “Great,” Corrie muttered, sitting back down. “He’s your son, too,” she said to James before turning her back on him. “So, Rem,” she said in a much nicer tone, “I bet it’s really hard to ride a bull.”

  “Yep.” Rem picked up the pizza cutter and ran it across the pizza on his plate, cutting it into bite-sized pieces for Carter. “Here you go,” he said to Elaine, holding out his plate with the pieces on it.

  She switched him. “Thanks.”

  “But I heard you were really good at it.” Corrie blinked her eyes, setting her chin on her hand and staring at Rem.

  Elaine tried to focus on feeding Carter and eating her own food, but her heart squeezed a little.

  Rem shrugged. “You know, Elaine. I was really looking forward to eating that cake. Smelled so good. But we could put candles in that last pan of sweet rolls and they would work as substitute birthday cake.”

  “That’s a great idea. We could do that.”

  Corrie’s bottom lip stuck out and she took a delicate bite of her pizza. The conversation seemed to flow a little better after that. Elaine appreciated that Rem had made it clear, without being rude, that Corrie wasn’t getting his attention. Elaine’s heart felt happy, and she wanted to thank Rem for his loyalty. She didn’t, but focused on trying to be nice to set a good example for her children, not because she wanted to. But it was the right thing to do. Rem had made it a whole lot easier.

  Eventually they stuck a candle in the sweet rolls, and everyone sang “Happy Birthday” to Corrie and her. They had to cut them in half so there were enough to go around, but everyone got some. It wasn’t cake, but it was better than nothing.

  They sat around and chatted, surprising Elaine that they could do it without snapping at each other. Again, Rem’s presence helped her. Maybe time had healed her some, too. It wasn’t painful to see Corrie and James together. Especially since they barely talked to each other and the few times they did, they weren’t any more cordial than they were at the beginning of the meal.

  It was after dark when they left. Rem went out to feed. Gabe wanted to help, so Elaine let him go while she gave the other kids baths and got them ready for bed.

  She was on the couch reading a story to them when Gabe and Rem came in from the barn. Knowing that Rem was probably tired and would want to go to bed, she sent Gabe for his shower and took the kids upstairs and tucked them in. Thirty minutes later, she walked back down the stairs, thinking to slip into her room and go to bed herself.

  At the bottom of the stairs, she stopped dead still and almost squealed. Rem stood in the bathroom doorway wearing a tight black t-shirt and low-slung jeans and in his bare feet.

  She’d never seen his feet before, and her eyes were drawn down, for some reason.

  “Hey,” he said softly. Almost like he was nervous. She could hardly believe that. Rem was the most confident, borderline cocky man she knew.

  She made her tongue work. “Thanks for today. That was hard for me, and you made it almost fun.”

  He shoved a hand in his pocket. “I liked spending the afternoon with you.”

  She didn’t know exactly what bull riders did for fun, but she highly doubted it was anything as banal as sitting around eating pizza with a woman, her four children, and the rest of her messed-up family.

  But his compliment felt sincere, even if she couldn’t believe it, and she smiled.

  “I’m glad you still have your skirt on.” He swallowed, loud in the stillness of the kitchen.

  “I just haven’t had time to change.” The kids seemed to take up all her time.

  “Good. It’s pretty, and so are you.”

  She closed her eyes, wishing it were true, that she were the kind of woman who belonged with a man like him. But she wasn’t, and there was nothing she could do to change it.

  “What’s the matter?” he asked, his voice low.

  She forced her lips up. “Nothing. Just tired.”

  “Oh.” His head drooped a little, then he pushed his shoulder off the doorframe and walked slowly over. Not his usual confident stride but something more hesitant, like he didn’t want to scare her away.

  He stopped just a few feet away. “I didn’t think I was going to like it here. The cold and the culture and people aren’t what I’m used to. But I’ll never get tired of watching the sun come up and go down over fields covered in snow. I love turning my face to the north wind and working through the cold.”

  Her heart fluttered like a leaf in a stiff breeze.

  He shifted. “But what I really like is coming back in to the smell of bacon and eggs and cinnamon rolls and to see you turn around and smile at me.”

  She felt caught by his eyes and couldn’t look away. Her hands tingled.

  He took another step closer. “Dance with me?”

  Her breath caught.

  He set his phone on the table, and something soft and sweet started playing. Closing the last few inches between them, he put his hands on her waist.

  “Was that a yes?” His voice had roughened.

  Stepping into his embrace, she put her hands on his shoulders. “Yes,” she said softly. “Most definitely a yes.”

  “Good, because I’ve wanted to do this for a long time, but especially since you stepped out in that skirt and those boots.”

  “I hope I don’t step on your toe.”

  “A little pain will make it real.”

  Heat from his body pressed up and through the palms of her hands. His scent, clean and true, shimmered in the air around them. With only the light above the stove illuminating the kitchen, it felt more like a dream than reality. Although holding him, having his hands resting on the small of her back, was better than any dream she’d ever dared to dream.

  They swayed gently together as the music reached a crescendo before dropping back down and fading away. Silence descended. Not an awkward one, but one that was cozy and comfortable, wrapping them in their own world.

  He pulled back, just a little, and she lifted her gaze.

  “I’m not sure when I started thinking about it, maybe for several weeks.” His chest moved in and out.

  She waited, and when he didn’t say more, she prompted, “Thinking about what?”

  He pressed his lips softly against her forehead. “Kiss me, Chica.”

  Lightly kissing down her cheek and jaw, he took advantage of her angled head and touched his mouth to the spot on her neck where her pulse surely hammered. Her fingers gripped his t-shirt, and her knees shook.

  He kissed the corner of her lips, and she shivered.

  “You haven’t said yes,” he said as close to her lips as he could get without touching.

  Her hands slid off his shoulders and cupped his face. “Yes.”

  Rem wasn’t really a go slow or sit and wait kind of guy. The fact that he had been doing both made her feel cherished, like he truly cared about her.

  Her brain quit thinking when his lips touched hers. He pulled her closer, and she pressed against him willingly as the kitchen tilted and spun. Her hands slid into his hair, and in some corner of her brain that was still semi-functioning, she registered surprise that it was so soft.

  He pulled away, laying his cheek on the top of her head, his chest pumping in and out. Her heart pounded, and she felt like she’d run a lap around the pasture in two feet of snow.

  His hands rubbed softly over her back, but he didn’t loosen his hold on her.

  Finally, when her breath and heart rate had almost returned to normal, he said, “I have something for you.”

  A little shock went through her. “I didn’t expect you to get me anything.”

  “It’s not much. I did it a few weeks ago when I went in to Rockerton to pick up groceries and get bands.” Again, he wasn’t his normal confident self, like he wasn’t sure what her reaction was going to be.

  “What is it?”

  He pulled back, and she regretted the lost contact.

  Reaching into his pocket, he brought out a small box.

  “Oh.” Excitement thrummed though her. “A ring?”

  He chuckled. “Open it.”

  She took it from him, their fingers brushing. She glanced up at him. His eyes were hot and settled on her.

  Opening the box, she drew a breath in. “I was right. A wedding ring. But there’s another ring, too.” It had some type of blue stone inset in the band with diamonds on either side.

  “I saw that blue, and it reminded me of your eyes. Eyes that look like the Texas sky. I don’t know much about this stuff but had the thought it would be like an engagement ring.” He shifted, and again she got the impression he was maybe a little nervous.

  “They’re beautiful. I’m kind of afraid to touch them. I don’t think I’ve ever owned anything that nice.” She put one finger out and touched the blue stone on the engagement ring. “So pretty.”

  “Let’s see if they fit.” He took the engagement ring out. “This goes on first?”

  “I guess that makes sense? I don’t know.” She didn’t want to ruin their moment by bringing up James, but he hadn’t given her an engagement ring. They’d been too young and too poor to afford it.

  It stuck on her knuckle then slid over and on. “Perfect,” she said. “Did you get a ring for yourself?”

  His lip kicked up, and she was glad his cocky smile was back. “Yeah. I guess I wanted everyone to know that I was taken.”

  “You’re not wearing it,” she said as he slipped the wedding band on. It fit just as well.

  “I have it in my pocket. I wasn’t sure how you were going to feel about this.”

  “I love it. Why wouldn’t I?”

  “I don’t know. I mean, I know it all started as a business arrangement, but I feel like maybe that’s not what I want anymore. I know it’s not been very long. Just a month. And if you don’t want to be more, that’s fine. But I was thinking I’d like to do a little courting. We did things backward with the wedding first.”

  Elaine’s heart had swelled so big it took up her throat and clogged her voice.

  “I know money’s tight, but I don’t think we’re so hard against it that I can’t take my wife out for a nice dinner like I should have done the day we got married.” He ran a finger down her cheek. “Will you go out with me, Elaine?”

  For a day that she had thought would be so terrible, and had been pretty awful for a while, it had, in the last thirty minutes, become one of the best days of her life.

  “I’d really like that,” she said.

  “We’ll go Monday, then, after the kids get on the bus.” His voice once again contained the confidence she was used to. “Maybe we can get Nell to watch the little ones. Would that be a hardship? To be alone with me for a day?”

 

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